Lent is always a busy time for those of us in the Episcopal Church. Yet, it
is also a time when we provide and use opportunities to reflect and renew
our commitment to our baptismal vows (BCP 304). It is always interesting to
me to occasionally read those vows and reflect upon my adherence to them.
These are ‘vows’ after all. They are solemn pledges. These are an earnest
promise to God to do certain things and to behave in a certain manner. Some
of us have taken vows for a religious order or as a priest or a deacon. Yet,
we all have taken these baptismal vows and promised God that we will
continue in reading scripture, attending the Eucharist and we have vowed to
pray. We have committed ourselves to resisting evil and whenever we are
tempted to turn away and serve the Lord. We have given our word that we will
love our neighbor as ourselves, we will strive for justice and peace and we
will respect the dignity of all human beings. These are vows that have been
made and God has taken us at our word.
We cannot will ourselves to keep these vows. These vows are only able to be
kept in the context of the community of faith. By their very nature these
vows bring us into relationship with one another. In the Christian faith we
have promised to be faithful to God as we relate to one another and to the
world around us. The community of faith that hangs in there with each other
provides the fertile soil for the power of God to bless and to use. A
community of faith not only learns to pray together, sing together and
listens with each other, but a community of faith argues with one another,
disagrees with each other over some pretty basic understandings and
challenges the direction and vision. All of these characteristics are what
keep us orthodox – they keep us thinking, evaluating and listening for the
wind of the spirit as it blows through our space. We remind each other of
our vows and our promise to keep those vows even though we may not feel like
keeping them.
Behind my chair, on my wall, I have hung my ordination certificates. They
remind me of my vows that I took some 28 years ago. I look at those
certificates every morning as I come into my office and every night before I
leave. These vows remind me of the sacred trust I have received from the
community of faith – but it also reminds me that these vows are taken within
the context of the community of faith. Just as I need the community of faith
to keep my vows we need the community of faith to keep our baptismal vows.
Perhaps along with all our degrees and certificates we should include our
baptismal certificate to remind us that none of our work is worth anything
unless we first keep our vow to God and to God’s church.
In Christ,
LaRae +
